Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-04-22
D not commit yourself to new party

party is not going to surrender to this
new party; we are going into the battle
conscious of the right, and conscious of a
glorious victory. l beg to say word in
behalf of my friend, Senator Coke. He
is no political coward; he is no trimmer
to the popular breeze. He has always
shown his fidelity to principles, and had
the courage of his convictions to
maintain them. He most gallantly
gave his voice and political influence
against local option, when it was only Ia
county issue in his own county. His
brave words rang throughout the state,
and met the cordial Endorsement Of the
Democratic party. l confess that his re-
cent letters declining to take an active
part in this campaign is indefensible on
the ground he placed it. The Galveston
convention did not have this question be-
fore it, and did not intend TO construct
state platform in opposition to
the Democratic national platform on
the question of state or national prohi-
bitory laws and the separation Of
church and state for the sake like of
civil and religious freedom. If resolu-
ton had been offered in the Galveston
convention, proposing to declare that the
Democratic party in Texas should not be
aroused in battle array against the heIesy
of prohibition, when offered as an amend
ment to the constitution, Senator Coke
must know and admit that it would have
been voted down by reclamation. 1t
cannot with any fairness be maintained
that 'the goldent moment for putting
the Democratic party in line against
prohibition passed at Galveston in Au-
gust last"
The party was put in line in previous
party contest, and by the national plat
form, which is the supreme authority. In
the national convention, "We had our day
in court on this as q party question and
Judgment has been rendered against pro-
hibition. This solemn Judgment of the
highest tribunal known to the Democracy
of Texas, stands to-day unreversed and
unappaaled from" There was no effort
made in the Galveston convention to
ennuI, repeal or set aside this deliberate
Judgment of the party, when it
was state or national issue; local, pre-
cinCt, or county elections, or local option,
were left to the untrammeled action Of
each neighbOrhood. Senator Coke says:
81 propose by no word or act of mine to
make this other than a purely non p2rti-
san ,non-political canvass" If it were in
the power Ct Senator Coke to give direC-
ton and control to the state canvass, 1t
might be wise craftsmanship so to order
and control the campaign, but as an able
party manager he knows that you can't
keep party politics out of the prohibition
question. The enemies of Democracy
will coalesCe and combine all party fac
tions in this campaign against the
dominant Democratic party. An able
article appeared in the papers few days
ago by DR.. Herrick Johnson in favor of
prohibition, and in which he uses the
following language: "Ought prohibition
to be made a political question? Will
the skeptiC on this point tell me how it
can be made anything else? What is
politics? The science of government, the
regulation of a state, the preservation OF
its safety, peace and prosperity, and the
protection of It's citizens in their rights.
Now, think what the saloon is,
what values it impairs. what taxes
it imposes and for what reasons,
what crimes it engenders, what material
and social interest 1t blights, how it
touches society at almost every point;
where legislation has province how it
enters by the very necessity Of it's exist
enCe into questions of property, ques-
tions Of taxation, questions of sanitary
conditions, questions of crime and pau
perism and police, questions that gov
eminent can not exist without determin-
ing. Keep prohibition out of politics!
As well try to keep the stars
out of the sky. They are there
by the very swing of their nature"
"But this matter of drinking and drunken
ness is a moral question" Yes, that is
one side of it, and the great body of the
men and women who believe in prohibit
ton are trying to heal the hurt on that
side by the remedial and only sovereignty
eftiCaCiOus agency of the Gospel. But
there is another side Of it, the liquor
traffi; side, the drlnk-shop side, where
the spirits openly and laWlessly mate
rialize, and in a way destructive of pub
lie order, and menacing to values,
and prolific of hurts that are open,
public, civic, national, pertaining
to property, crime, health, life.
For stopping these hurts we must have
law. The legislation that will stop these
hurts must stop their cause. Such leg
islatiOn is politics, and such legislation is
prohibition" If Senator Coke goes into
his tent or deserts his army when under
the grape and canister shots of such en-
aggressive enemy, and especially when
his able colleague in the Senate has for
saken Us and gone over to the enemy's
camp, we shall call for Butcher in some
gallant leader and move on to glorious
victory.
After the Judge had finished his strong
argumental speech Judge Hood made
motion that Judge HarcOurt be elected
chairman Of the meeting with power to
appoint a committee of three to select
delegates to the Dallas state anti-Prohi
bihOn convention to be held May 4. The
motion being carried and Judge Harcourt
elected chairman, he then announced the
name of Judge a. J. Hood and Captain
c. W. McGehee of this city and Captain
j. A. Kid of Springtown as the commit
tee 10 select delegates to the state con-
ventiOn. The convention then adjourned
The committee has not yet announced
the names Of the delegates to the state
convention, but will likely do so in
short time.
WILL NOT TOLERATE DICTATION.
II